How nutrition relates to your relationship

​With the turn of the New Year, many people make a goal of clean eating and living a healthy lifestyle! While this is huge in making positive changes as an individual, it also holds value in your relationships!

I often share with my clients how we do not live in a bubble and how every aspect of our life integrated. How we choose to respond to certain life events or stressors is what makes the difference and helps us stay on track of what we set goals on. Thinking about nutrition and diet, we often correlate this to fitness and losing weight. But there are so many other benefits as well! Obviously for this post, there are the benefits it has to your relationship.

But first, here are some benefits when it comes to eating healthy for you as individual.
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Healthy eating promotes:

• Increase in self-esteem and confidence
• Reduces risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, and cancer risk
• Consistency in a busy schedule
• Elevated mood
• More energy
• Improved memory
• Better sleep
• Reduces stress

​Unhealthy eating promotes:

• Fatigue
• Weight gain and bloating
• Depression
• Lack of energy
• Multitude to health problems

When seeing the different outcomes of what your diet can lead too, it is clear on how the benefits from eating healthy will also transfer over into how you are as a partner and how you can enhance your relationship with your partner and family. It is also clear, how the effects of eating unhealthy may lead to not being the best you, which will transfer over to not being the best partner or family member you can possibly be.

Of course, we can make the argument that some relational issues are based on the need to learn healthy relationship skills; however, it’s important to remember that everything in our life links together. Nutrition included!

For example, if you are eating well and that leads to having a good night sleep, be in a better mood with more energy and feel confident in yourself, here are some possible relationship benefits:
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• ​More likely to be receptive to your partner 
• Ability to slow yourself down when having a difficult conversation
• Ability to manage your stress in a healthy way 
• Mental clarity when trying to be present with your partner and family
• Increase in sexual intimacy
• If you are cooking together, that is a way to improve quality time spent and working on a goal together

​If you want to learn more about how you and your partner can learn more about healthy eating habits and nutrition, be sure to attend an upcoming Couple Workshop called Re-Balance! In this workshop, a registered dietitian will guide couples on learning easy and healthy meals to implement into their busy schedules and learn the basics of nutrition to get you on the right path for a healthy lifestyle. If you are unable to attend this workshop or do not live close to San Antonio to attend, I encourage you to reach out to a local dietitian. Remember that clean eating goes beyond just looking good and losing weight, it’s an investment into your relationship as well!

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By: Priscilla Rodriguez, M.S., LMFT

I specialize in working with couples and individuals and understand that sometimes life may get busy and hectic. I help couples and individuals process practical solutions that will fit their unique lives. I encourage you to attend my upcoming couple workshop called Re-Balance: A Couple Workshop on Mastering Connection the Modern Way. Couples will learn to enhance their communication, intimacy, how they show love, understanding of nutrition, finances, and incorporate relaxation techniques.